The Eureka Moment of Linguistics

Summary

The script delves into the historical quest for linguistic origins, highlighting the shift from a Hebrew-centric view to a more secular and nationalistic approach during the Renaissance. It discusses early classifications of European languages, the challenge to the Hebrew origin theory, and the exploration of language similarities, particularly between European and Indian languages. Key figures like Thomas Stevens, Philippo Sassi, and William Jones contributed to the understanding of linguistic diversity and the development of comparative linguistics, with Jones famously proposing a common source for Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin.

Takeaways

• 📜 The script discusses the historical quest for linguistic origins, focusing on the European belief in a Hebrew origin for all languages, influenced by the biblical account of the Tower of Babel.
• 🌏 It highlights the shift from a religious to a more secular and nationalist perspective during the Renaissance, with scholars starting to consider their own languages as primeval.
• 🔍 Joseph Scaliger's work is mentioned, identifying four major European language groups and being cautious about connecting languages without solid evidence.
• 🌐 The script touches on the increased missionary activity in India, leading to the discovery of similarities between Indian languages and European languages, such as Greek and Latin.
• 📚 Early observations of lexical similarities between Sanskrit and Italian, as well as the status of Sanskrit as a learned language in India, akin to Greek and Latin in Europe, are noted.
• 🧐 The Persian-German Theory is introduced, suggesting a connection between Persian and Germanic languages, supported by testimonies like Herodotus' and scholars' comparative studies.
• 🔬 Johannes Elman's hypothesis of a common Cian origin for Persian and Germanic languages, based on a comparative word list, is mentioned, despite his untimely death preventing further exploration.
• 🏛 Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn's Cian theory is explained, proposing that Germanic and Persian languages share similarities due to a common Cian ancestor, influencing later linguistic thought.
• 🌐 The script covers the expansion of the Cian theory to include Sanskrit and other languages, suggesting a widespread linguistic family originating from a common ancestor language.
• 🔢 Numerals and their similarities across languages are used as evidence for linguistic relationships, as noted by scholars like Andreas Yer and Gaston-Laurent Coeurdoux.
• 🌐 The idea of reconstructing a proto-language as a common ancestor for related languages is introduced, with William Jones being a key figure in recognizing the connections between Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, and other languages.

Q & A

What was the dominant linguistic theory in Europe before the Renaissance?

The dominant linguistic theory in Europe before the Renaissance was the belief in a Hebrew origin for all languages, which was an attempt to fit all languages within the biblical tradition of the dispersal of mankind after the Tower of Babel.

How did the perception of language origins change during the Renaissance?

During the Renaissance, the perception of language origins changed with a growingly secular and nationalist lens being worn by scholars. This led to nationalistic pride, with some people even believing that their own mother tongues were the original primeval language.

Who was one of the first to challenge the Hebrew origin theory of European languages?

Joseph Justice Scalenus was one of the first to challenge the Hebrew origin theory of European languages. He identified four major European language groups based on their words for God and was cautious about connecting languages together.

What was the significance of Thomas Stevens' comments on the languages around Goa in 1583?

Thomas Stevens' comments on the languages around Goa in 1583 were significant because he noted the similarities between these languages and European languages, specifically mentioning their structure being allied to Greek and Latin.

What did Philippo Sassi observe about the Indian language used for scientific writings?

Philippo Sassi observed that India's sciences were written in a language so different from the vernacular that it required six years of study, highlighting the complexity and the learned status of the language, similar to Greek and Latin for Europeans.

What is the Persian German Theory and how did it develop?

The Persian German Theory developed from the observation of similarities between Persian and Germanic languages by scholars who rediscovered Persia and its language during the Renaissance. This led to speculation about historical and genetic connections between the Persian and Germanic tribes.

What role did Herodotus' testimony play in the development of the Persian German Theory?

Herodotus' testimony played a major role in the development of the Persian German Theory as he mentioned a Persian tribe called 'germano' in his Histories, which led to speculation about the historical and genetic connection between the Persians and the Germanic tribes.

Who was Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn and what did he contribute to linguistic studies?

Marcus Zuerius van Boxhorn was a professor of rhetoric at Leiden University who made a significant contribution to linguistic studies by proposing the Cian theory. He suggested that Germanic languages showed close similarities with Persian due to a common Cian origin.

What was the significance of William Jones' third anniversary discourse on the Hindus?

William Jones' third anniversary discourse on the Hindus was significant because it contained the famous quotation that recognized the strong affinity between Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin, suggesting they all sprang from a common source, which marked an important moment in the development of comparative linguistics.

What errors did William Jones make in his classification of languages?

William Jones made several errors in his classification of languages, such as grouping Slavic and Hindi as unrelated to other languages, attributing Hindi to a Tartarian origin, and classifying Iranian languages, Malay, and even Tibetan as Semitic or derived from Sanskrit.

What was the impact of the Asiatic researches and William Jones' work on the understanding of linguistic connections?

The Asiatic researches and William Jones' work had a significant impact on the understanding of linguistic connections by making Sanskrit well-known in Europe and proposing the idea that several languages, including Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Gothic, and Celtic, had a common origin.